Mohammed Azharuddinhttp://www.bollywoodlife.com
Bollywood News and Gossip | Bollywood Movie Reviews, Songs and Videos | Bollywood Actress and Actors Updates | Bollywoodlife.comWed, 24 May 2017 18:30:00 +0000en-ENhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5Emraan Hashmi: The best compliment I received was when Azhar said that he couldn’t have seen any other actor play him so convincingly!http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/emraan-hashmi-the-best-compliment-i-received-was-when-mohammed-azharuddin-said-that-he-couldnt-have-seen-any-other-actor-play-him-so-convincingly/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/emraan-hashmi-the-best-compliment-i-received-was-when-mohammed-azharuddin-said-that-he-couldnt-have-seen-any-other-actor-play-him-so-convincingly/#respondTue, 17 May 2016 07:56:08 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=720560The actor talks to us EXCLUSIVELY after the film’s release…

Starring Emraan Hashmi, Nargis Fakhri and Prachi Desai, Azhar released this Friday on a very average note. However, it grew over the weekend and over a positive word of publicity going on for the film, it is set to have a good first week at the box office. While many critics haven’t like the film, people have given a thumbs up to Azhar. So as the film does well, we got in touch with Emraan Hashmi to talk about the film’s success, the celebrations that are set to follow, Nargis’ break up rumours, Cannes and much more. Here are a few excerpts from our EXCLUSIVE chat with the star actor…

The film has performed well at the box office. How happy are you?

I am very happy coz this is something we have been working on for the longest time, almost a year and a half. Lots of people have put in their best efforts into the film, really put in their heart and their soul. So I am happy that it is being appreciated by everyone.

Any special messages you received after the film released? What did Azharuddin say after watching the film?

I think the best part was that Azharuddin and his family loved it. Lot of people from his family called me and he loved it too. He said that he couldn’t have seen any other actor play him so convincingly and even his family felt the same way. That was a great compliment. And then I have been getting messages on my Twitter timeline since the day of the release. Everyone has raved about the film and the performances. So it is very heartening.

However, the film got mixed reviews. Some critics didn’t like the film. What do you have to say about that?

We were expecting that in a film that kind of fictionalizes the event in someone’s life (this was going to happen). If you are going in with the intent to watch an out-and-out biopic, then we had said time and again in interviews (that it isn’t a biopic), but still some critics had mentioned that if it is a biopic, then why has it been fictionalised. But we were very clear at the beginning of the film, we played it again as a disclaimer, but I don’t know where that came from. May be they didn’t sit and watch the first 10 seconds of Azhar where we said that we have dramatised the movie and fictionalised the events. So I can’ help them with that and I don’t see that as a great judgement of what the film is about because it was flawed–their review. And for the people who loved it, there were reviewers on websites that appreciated the film.

How do you plan to celebrate the success of your film?

I am first going to Ko Samui (an island in Thailand) with friends, then I am off with my family to the States and Canada very soon.

There are two more biopics on cricketers releasing this year. Are you excited to see M.S. Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar’s biopic?

Well, of course. I am excited to see all films related to someone’s life. Cricket or not cricket, they are very interesting coz there must be something intriguing about someone’s life that you put it up on screen. And even if you have not followed it closely, it is nice to kind of read through it and eventually see it being represented and documented on the screen.

Also Aishwarya and Sonam walked the red carpet at Cannes. Did you see their looks? What do you feel about their appearances?

No, I haven’t (seen their pictures).

According to you, how important is a platform like Cannes?

It’s obviously great for content driven films, films from around the world and also films from here (India). It’s a great platform for these special films. Lot of film-makers from around the world come there, so you get to meet a lot of different minds and tap into that.

There were reports that there were some issues between you and Nargis, especially after her pubic hair statement. Anything you would like to mention?

You know, the pubic hair statement was a joke that happened on the set and it eventually went out. I don’t know who got it out and why Nargis started talking about it, but I think it was all in jest and anything she says, should be taken with a pinch of salt because that’s her sense of humour. But no, there is no bad blood between us.

She has left town and flown back to USA. While some say that she is unwell, we hear that it was because of her break up with Uday Chopra. What have you heard?

These are all speculative stories. What I know was that she was a bit unwell and so she had to bail lout and leave the last leg of promotions, That’s the last I have heard of that and I have not been in touch. I just hope she has a speedy recovery and gets back to work very soon.

What’s next for Emraan Hashmi?

Raaz 4 is my next release and apart from that, there are a few films which I will be announcing shortly.

Also check out Emraan, Nargis and Prachi taking BollywoodLife’s compatibility test in the video right here:

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/emraan-hashmi-the-best-compliment-i-received-was-when-mohammed-azharuddin-said-that-he-couldnt-have-seen-any-other-actor-play-him-so-convincingly/feed/0Azhar trailer: Emraan Hashmi’s take on the former Indian cricket captain’s scandalous life promises to be EXPLOSIVE!http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/azhar-trailer-emraan-hashmis-take-on-the-former-indian-cricket-captains-scandalous-life-promises-to-be-explosive/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/azhar-trailer-emraan-hashmis-take-on-the-former-indian-cricket-captains-scandalous-life-promises-to-be-explosive/#respondFri, 01 Apr 2016 15:01:04 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=694662Watch the trailer right here…

When I heard that there is a film being made on former Indian cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin’s life, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious. After all, this man was one of the few factors who changed the face of cricket, but not in the right way.

Many of you may know what I am talking about, and for those who don’t – let me give you a brief insight. Mohammed Azharuddin was one of the most successful Indian cricket captains and had lead our team, which had the likes of Sachin tendulkar, Vinod Kambli, Ajay Jadeja, successfully on many tours. He was also one of the best known batsmen for his wrist-play, along with VVS Laxman. However, the first major betting and match fixing scandal that struck and spoilt the sanctity of the game in the mid-’90s (and also losing many fans, including my father, in the process) implicated him and a few others. Soon he was banned from playing cricket along with Hansie Cronje, Ajay Jadeja and others. So a film on him was definitely going to raise a lot of eyebrows.

The first trailer of the film, starring Emraan Hashmi as Azhar is out is out, and as expected, the film will touch upon the various shocking aspects of his life. The match fixing scandal is definitely there, with Lara Dutta’s angry lawyer hell-bent on labelling Azhar asa fixer. Secondly, his colourful love life is also touched upon – how his first marriage with Naureen (Prachi Desai) broke up because of his affair (and later, marriage to) with actress Sangeeta Bijlani (Nargis Fakhri), who is welcomed in the trailer with the iconic Oye Oye from Tridev (Sangeeta was in that song, remember?). And since this is a Emraan Hashmi, we are also privy to a couple of kissing scenes.

The film is directed by Tony D’Souza and also stars former Bigg Boss contestant Gautam Gulati as Ravi Shastri.

Watch the trailer here, and decide if Emraan Hashmi does complete justice to Azhar!

Ekta Kapoor’s upcoming project, Azhar which is a biopic on cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin, has been attracting a lot of buzz and attention ever since it was first announced; thanks to the scandalous life of the former captain of the Indian cricket team. The film which stars Emraan Hashmi as Azhar, Prachi Desai as his first wife, Naureen and Nargis Fakhri as his love affair and second wife, Sangeeta Bijlani has finally gone on floors today.

An excited Emraan took to Twitter to share the info and ask fans to send their best wishes. He shared the following pic with a tweet saying, “We begin Azhar’s journey…..wish us luck.”

A few days ago, the makers gave us a glimpse of Emraan as Azhar in a short teaser which blew our minds away. Though we only got to see the actor’s walk, it was so bang on that we would never have believed it was not Azhar himself had we not seen the poster with Emraan on it before. After the intense and intriguing trailer our hopes just sky rocketed to see more of the film. But we have until May 13 next year to wait, that’s when the film releases.

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/emraan-hashmis-azhar-biopic-goes-on-floors-view-pic/feed/0SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali will help promote Dolby Atmos technology across Indian screenshttp://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/ss-rajamoulis-baahubali-will-help-promote-dolby-atmos-technology-across-indian-screens/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/ss-rajamoulis-baahubali-will-help-promote-dolby-atmos-technology-across-indian-screens/#respondTue, 07 Jul 2015 09:02:00 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=532219The technology has been used in 100 films till date but most of them are south films. With this Prabhas-Rana Daggubati starrer the technology will spread pan India…

“Baahubali has paved way to very good response from exhibitors in Andhra and Telangana. This was a market where we had the least number of screens, but thanks to Baahubali and upcoming film Rudhramadevi, we have witnessed a considerable rise in the number of Atmos screens in the states,” Kedia, senior regional director – India, South East Asia, ANZ of Dolby, told.

Atmos unleashes the potential of sound in storytelling by giving filmmakers the creative freedom to easily place or move sounds anywhere in the movie theatre. Thanks to Baahubali, which releases in cinemas worldwide on Friday, several exhibitors across the country have added additional screens with the technology. “The quality of the content is amazing. I haven’t seen anything like Baahubali in India ever. And since it’s releasing in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam, we’re targeting to release it in all the 100 Atmos screens in the country, depending upon how the shows will be programmed,” he said.

In south alone, Baahubali is expected to release in over 50 Atmos facilitated movie screens. First introduced in India in 2012 with superstar Rajinikanth-starrer Sivaji 3D, Atmos has successfully released 100 Indian film titles. The company’s journey so far has been very successful. “Considering we had just one screen when we started a couple of years ago, it’s very encouraging to see we have come this far. The excitement we’re seeing from filmmakers and exhibitors is proof to our success,” Kedia said, and added that actor Suriya’s recently released Tamil thriller Masss was their 100th title.

“What’s really encouraging is that no longer conversations are about the cost involved, as filmmakers are more concerned about providing the best experience for audience. It’s more about enhancing storytelling with the technology,” he added. Globally, the company has approximately 1,000 screens and 300 titles to its credit.

Pankaj says the adoption of the technology has been very rapid in India. “Thought the Indian market has some concerns like regulated ticket pricing, we’ve still managed to create an impact in key southern markets like Kerala and Tamil Nadu,” he said. Pankaj admits the southern film market has major contribution in the success of Atmos. “We had a ball of success in south. One of the surprises has been the Kerala market. We already have 15 screens installed and more are coming up. Several iconic theatres are getting refurbished with Atmos,” he said.

“South has been a very interesting market for us. It was traditionally a market where Dolby digital didn’t do well in the past. With Atmos, we’ve been very fortunate and it has resulted in a positive story,” he said. Some of the highly anticipated releases in Dolby Atmos include Puli, Rudhramadevi, Maya and Azhar. The last one is a biopic on former Indian cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin.

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/ss-rajamoulis-baahubali-will-help-promote-dolby-atmos-technology-across-indian-screens/feed/0Revealed: Emraan Hashmi’s biggest challenge in Mohammed Azharuddin’s biopichttp://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/revealed-emraan-hashmis-biggest-challenge-in-mohammed-azharuddins-biopic/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/revealed-emraan-hashmis-biggest-challenge-in-mohammed-azharuddins-biopic/#respondMon, 01 Dec 2014 14:32:35 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=419421After a lot of biopics doing well at the box office, here’s some goss from the sets of one which went on the floors recently…

Emraan Hashmi has been busy through the last few weeks with the promotional activity for the latest release Ungli. The actor simultaneously was also busy shooting for films like Hamari Adhuri Kahaani and Mr X. However, we were worried that amidst such a tight schedule will he be able to give the Mohammed Azharuddin biopic adequate time. The actor opened out his heart about the same and stated that he was finding it very difficult to portray the legendary cricketer.

So what was the difficulty? While talking to a popular tabloid he informed that getting the batting techniques right was the toughest part for his role. However, he was also very happy about the fact that he gets to wear a lot of designer watches as Azhar had a penchant for expensive watches and always loved flaunting them. A source from the unit of the film informs that the makers of the film have actually bought various expensive watches and gifted them to Emraan as a process of preparation for the role. That means he is not going to give away those designer watches once the shoot gets over.

Wethinks getting the nitty gritties of the cricketing legend correct is important. Also its great that Emmi is getting equally compensated with designer watches. What do you think BollywoodLifers?

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/revealed-emraan-hashmis-biggest-challenge-in-mohammed-azharuddins-biopic/feed/0Ekta Kapoor finally gets the rights to make a biopic on cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin!http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/ekta-kapoor-finally-gets-the-rights-to-make-a-biopic-on-cricketer-mohammed-azharuddin/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/ekta-kapoor-finally-gets-the-rights-to-make-a-biopic-on-cricketer-mohammed-azharuddin/#respondWed, 29 Jan 2014 13:50:42 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=312123The Balaji head honcho has bought the rights to make a biopic on one of the best captains of the Indian cricket

That Ekta Kapoor is planning to make a film based on the life of cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin is a stale fact. But things were stuck because Balaji head honcho was reportedly, not getting the rights to make the biopic.However, now we hear that Ekta has finally got the rights to make the film on Azhar’s life. That’s not all! The two also met on Monday (January 27) to finalise the film, which will be directed by Kunal Deshmukh.

Now we are really looking forward to this biopic. After all, Azhar has had quite an eventful life, na? A life ban on playing cricket, a divorce with his wife Naureen, a second marriage with Salman Khan’s ex-flame Sangeeta Bijlani followed by a separation 14 years later and the tragic demise of his 19-year-old son in a bike accident. Now we hope that Ekta is able to do justice to this cricket legend. After all, he is one of the few people in the world of cricket, who’s worshipped by many.

There are many biopics which are being made currently, including a biopic on Mary Kom, which has Priyanka Chopra portraying the character of the woman wrestler. Then there is a film based on the life of Sarabjit Singh. But we must say, Ekta Kapoor’s biopic on Mohammed Azharuddin tops our watch list. Hai na BollywoodLifers?

Will Ranbir Kapoor play cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin in Ekta Kapoor’s planned biopic? The buzz is that the TV czarina is planning to rope in a big name young actor to essay the role of the former cricketer on the big screen. Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Saif Ali Khan are hot contenders for Azhar’s role, we are told. Will age win over beauty and talent? We have to wonder!

After the much talked about Mary Kom biopic starring Priyanka Chopra that went on the floors recently, the soap queen has decided to be the next to take the plunge. A little birdie tells us that the Balaji head is planning a grand biographical film on the cricketer turned politician. Through his cricket career the stylish batsman played over 300 ODIs and 99 test matches, his innings came to an abrupt end after he was found to be involved in a match fixing scandal in 2000.

If what our feathered friend told us is to be believed, the Kapoor lady has also managed to convince Azharuddin to give his go-ahead for the project, and has paid him a fat cheque for his go-ahead. Ekta favourite Rajat Arora will be scripting this mega project and though there isn’t any official announcement as yet, the film is supposedly slated to go on the floors by the end of 2014.

It will be interesting to see what Ekta has to offer in her special treat for cricketing fans. More exciting will be to find out who will step into the cricketer’s shoes. For now, we can only play the waiting game!

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/will-ranbir-kapoor-play-mohammed-azharuddin-onscreen/feed/0Geeta Basra and Harbhajan Singh to marry in Septemberhttp://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/geeta-basra-and-harbhajan-singh-to-marry-in-september/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/geeta-basra-and-harbhajan-singh-to-marry-in-september/#commentsWed, 23 May 2012 06:13:27 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=107770The secretive couple is finally ready to make their relationship public and official

Geeta Basra and Harbhajan Singh, the couple, who has never spoken about their romance despite being seen together often and has maintained the ‘just good friends’ stance, is ready to take their relationship to the next level. Our birdie the buddy informed us that the secretive lovers are gearing up for a grand wedding affair for September 2012. The several ceremonies surrounding the marriage will kick-off in the Bollywood babe’s hometown, Yorkshire in England and conclude in the cricketer’s village in Punjab.

Though the wedding news comes as a bit of surprise, coz in a recent interview The Train debutant, who will be seen in Zilla Ghaziabad co-starring Sanjay Dutt and Vivek Oberoi, denied any marriage plans in the near future. But then, in Bollywood situations change when you least expect it. Like a few years ago, Geeta and Harbhajan broke up after going through a rocky patch. But now the couple is set to join the likes of Sharmila Tagore-Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and Sangeeta Bijlani-Mohammed Azharuddin, who have reinforced the belief that cricketers and Bollywood babes have a strong connection.

We’re not talking about the Don, but his henchman Mac, who was played by Shakeel Khan in the film Don, with Shahrukh Khan

He talks about his hatred for RGV, his passion for theatre, his inclination towards money-spinning blockbusters and how he was molested by a Hollywood director.

How and why did you get into the big bad world of Bollywood after spending 12 years doing good work in the theatre circuit?

Well, the passion for theatre is still intact. Over the years I realised that art can get you applause, but definitely not a decent 2BHK flat in Mumbai. I had bills to pay and look after the family, so I thought acting in films made more sense. Why blame me? Everyone from Naseeruddin Shah to Rajat Kapoor does films to keep the kitchen flames burning.

You made your debut in Farhan Akhtar’s Lakshya – how did you bag that role?

Actually, I was supposed to play Ayub Khan’s role in Dil Chahta Hai, but later they realised that they wanted someone who would appear physically stronger than Aamir Khan and I didn’t fit the part. The best thing about working with Excel Entertainment is that they never keep their actors in the dark. Even those who audition for the smallest parts get notified immediately, if they have been selected or rejected. This helps the actor to look around for other opportunities, unlike some production houses who treat character artists shabbily. It is a delight working with Farhan and Zoya Akhtar. At Excel Entertainment, I feel at home.

You were seen doing a passing shot in Ram Gopal Varma’s Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon. Why didn’t you work with RGV again?

The fact is that Ram Gopal Varma doesn’t pay junior artistes. Actually, a few days ago I got a call from his casting guys, saying they wanted to cast me in an important role in the Amitabh Bachchan-Sanjay Dutt starrer Department. I asked them how much I would be paid and what they offered was humiliating, to say the least. I told them I was not interested. You wouldn’t believe this – they still owe me my payment for MMDBCH! I think the reason behind RGV’s strange behaviour is that he is an atheist and he derives some sadistic pleasure by playing with the emotions of people, just for the heck of it. He has also lost grip over his craft of filmmaking and if you watch any of his recent films, you will know that I am not talking through my hat. His reason for being in films has totally gone off track. For MMDBCH they offered me Rs 3,000 a shift and for Department they made an offer of Rs 5,000 a shift. That’s how much Ramu has grown in all these years. It is really appalling, to say the least.

You have done some Hollywood films too; was it any different from Bollywood?

Even that was a crazy experience. I was playing a small character in Russell Mulcahy’s film, The Curse of King Tut’s Tomb. I wasn’t aware that the director was homosexual and I had caught his fancy. All through the shoot I was given VIP treatment and I was wondering why, but I didn’t ponder much over it, as I was busy indulging myself. After the shoot was over, we had a party where Russell led me to the dance floor and kissed me on my lips, in front of everyone. I was aghast and didn’t know how to react. I just left the place in a huff and never met him again, though he kept sending me feelers. Thankfully my experience working in the other few international films like One Night With The King and Hansie (about the match-fixing scandal, where I essayed the role of Mohammed Azharuddin) were quite wonderful and I fondly cherish those memories.

You have also assisted editors and directors in a few films – do you plan to become a director?

Frankly speaking, I don’t think I want to don the director’s hat. I don’t think I am qualified enough to direct a film. I am happy acting, as I enjoy it the most. Hopefully, once I have made my name as an actor of repute, I would like to produce films. I am not interested in making art films. I would love to produce money-spinners like Salman Khan’s Ready. For now I want to evolve and join the league of phenomenal actors like Paresh Rawal, Naseeruddin Shah and Boman Irani, whom I idolise.

Any filmmakers you are looking forward to working with?

Dibakar Banerjee is one director I would love to work with, because I have heard that he gives his actors enough space to improvise. Of course, I would like to work with Farhan and Zoya as many times as they would like to cast me, because in their films every character is important.